1 Step 2 Health Foundation

Changing lives 1 step at a time

Food Deserts in Virginia

Healthy Feedings

The U.S. Department of Agriculture
defines “food deserts”
as areas where people cannot
access affordable and nutritious
food. They are usually found
in impoverished areas lacking
grocery stores, farmers markets,
and healthy food providers.
Food deserts contribute to food
insecurity, which means people
aren’t sure where their food will
come from.

People living in poverty
rely on each other for transportation in order to
meet their food needs. One participant
brought her neighbor
to the food pantry because she
doesn’t have a car. They pooled
the food they received to make
a casserole for themselves and
their neighbors. This is a great
example of the impact that access
to transportation can have.
The community in which these
participants live is not considered
a food desert per se; however,
for the older adult who has
no transportation, there is a real
barrier to food security.

Imagine the difficulty of traveling on
a bus with small children to purchase
groceries and then boarding that bus
with several bags, along with your children,
for a one- or two-hour ride back
to your neighborhood.

Choosing food
or medicine, the importance of the food
pantry in Lynchburg is illustrated
by one couple’s struggle to
choose between medicine and
food. Both have diabetes, but
with a combined income of
only $530 per month, the cost
of medication even with
assistance from Medicaid is
prohibitive. The woman chose
to buy her husband’s medicine
but couldn’t afford her own that
month. They rely on the food
pantry but find it difficult to eat
healthy because much of the
food is processed. Still, they are
very grateful for the pantry and
the food it provides. Contributed by Meredith Ledlie
Johnson, Family Nutrition Program
project associate, and Sarah Misyak,
human nutrition, foods and exercise
Ph.D. student, Virginia Tech.

If nothing is done, health care costs will
continue to spiral upward, and obesity rates will continue to impact health care costs as well.

Research suggests that residents who
have better access to grocery stores and
supermarkets tend to have healthier diets
and lower levels of obesity (Larson, Story,
and Nelson et al. 2009) although limited
access to grocery stores is not the primary
cause of obesity. Virginia’s 2012 average
obesity rate of 27.4 percent translates to
an additional medical cost of $11.4 billion
annually. The medical costs for people
who are obese are estimated to be 42
percent or $1,429 higher than those of
normal weight (Finkelstein et al. 2009). If nothing is done, the commonwealth
will fail to provide people in food deserts
with a level playing field for achieving
better academic outcomes and job
opportunities. The ability to succeed in
the job market is predicated by the ability
to succeed in school. If students are unable
to succeed in school due to hunger
and poor nutrition, they may subsequently
be unable to prepare for and/or succeed
in the job market. “Nutrition clearly affects
academic performance,” according to a
joint Princeton University and Brookings
Institution report (Story, Kaphingst, and
French 2006, 110). Poor nutritional status
and hunger interfere with cognitive function.
They are also associated with lower
academic achievement and job performance,
which often results in costs to the
employer and may result in job loss.

Consideration of
Mobile Markets
Family Nutrition Program instructors
and students who
work with focus groups in Danville
recently learned that even
though residents are excited
about the farmers market, some
have trouble accessing it because
its limited hours of operation
don’t fit into their schedules.
They are very interested in
the idea of a mobile market that
would take produce throughout
the community, making it easier
for residents with little time or
ability to travel to access the
market’s fresh fruits and vegetables.
Otherwise, their access to
fresh produce may continue to
be limited.
— Contributed by Meredith Ledlie
Johnson, Family Nutrition Program
project associate, and Sarah Misyak,
human nutrition, foods and exercise
Ph.D. student, Virginia Tech.

Consider Growing Your Own Food.

Many people can empower themselves and their communities by growing food in backyards or rooftop gardens, community gardens, or in any location where a small plot of land exists. It doesn’t take much space to grow a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can start where you are.